Captured Moment
by radical-teen
Summary: Sometimes, a photo says it all.. DHr


He holds a picture of two lone figures in his hands...

He wears a deep emerald robe, and she sports a periwinkle blue gown. He stands there wishing he were somewhere else. She stands there wishing she were _with_ someone else. A sharp exclamation sends the two turning around, hazel eyes locking onto gray. For a split second her lips curve into a little smile, her white teeth beneath showing. His infamous smirk found its way onto his face. But before reality could sink in, it was done, the photo had been taken. Both were stunned and they quickly broke eye contact. He weaved through the crowds and finally found who he was looking for. "That picture… I must have it." The boy nodded hastily.

The next day he found a photo on his bed. I photo of two lone figures. He wears a deep emerald robe and she spots a periwinkle blue gown. Both figures turn to each other, hazel eyes locking onto gray. Her lips curve into a little smile, her white teeth beneath showing. His infamous smirk found its way onto his face. And there it was, over and over again, two lone figures smiling at each other. Somehow they weren't so alone after all. Behind the photo, in small untidy cursive writing, was a note. But he could make out what it said:

"_Mister Malfoy, _

_You and Miss Granger look perfect together._

_Signed, Colin Creevy"_

Bam!

The sound echoed through the hallway as books tumbled onto the floor.

"Malfoy!" Hermione spoke his name with utter disgust. "What's wrong with you? Can't you see where you're going? I'm already late for Potions as it is! Now would you please stop blocking the way?" she sighed in exasperation.

"You probably couldn't see where you're going because your nose was stuck so high up in the air," Draco sneered at her.

Hermione stared at Draco as he scrambled around for his books before dashing into the Potions classroom, unaware of a piece of parchment that had dropped out of his books in his hurry. Maybe it was her bookworm-ish nature, maybe it was out of pure curiosity, Hermione, balancing a pile of books in her hand, reached forward to pick the parchment off the floor. That was when she realized that it wasn't a piece of parchment she had picked up, but it was a photo. A photo of her and Draco Malfoy during the Yule Ball in their fourth year. She vaguely remembered someone taking a photo, but it had been three years ago. Malfoy had it with him all these years?

Hermione stared at the photo, stunned. Millions of thoughts were whirring through her mind. She would have gladly sat there to think, ponder and make up all sorts of theories for the rest of the day if Professor Snape hadn't leaned out of the classroom then.

"You're late, Miss Granger. That will be twenty points from Gryffindor. Now hurry up into the classroom or I'll be deducting more points from you," snarled Professor Snape, with a swish of his cloak, returning into the Potions classroom with Hermione dashing in after him.

Hermione spent the whole of Potions avoiding Harry and Ron's questioning as to why she was late for class. They were suspicious, and she knew they had a good reason to. She was so distracted that day that her Potion, for the first time, was abrely even comparable to Harry's. Determined to have a word with Malfoy after class, Hermione shooed Ron and Harry off to the Great Hall for lunch, saying she would catch up with them later as she had something to take care of. Left without a valid argument, Harry and Ron headed for the Great Hall, exchanging meaningful glances with each other.

Hermione heaved her bag on her shoulders, and with the picture in hand, proceeded to quietly follow Draco. Hogwarts' halls were full of students milling from the classooms to the Great Hall for lunch. it was impossible to talk to Draco Malfoy there and then without anyone noticing. Moving quickly in hope that no one was noticing, she caught up with an unsuspecting Draco and dragged him by his sleeve into an empty classroom and slamming the door behind them and locking it.

"What's the meaning of this?" snarled Draco, his handsome face now twisted in anger.

"Shouldn't it be I who's asking you 'what's the meaning of _this_'?" retorted Hermione, putting her hand on her hip and holding out the picture she had found earlier in the other hand. "What is up with this?"

Draco grabbed the photo from Hermione and looked down at it, his anger fading.

"Isn't it obvious enough? I mean, I've had this photo since the fourth year. Earlier, if I had found one," whispered Draco, looking up to meet Hermione's hazel eyes.

Incapable of speech at that moment, Hermione just grabbed her bag and ran out of the classroom, leaving a confused and slightly disappointed Draco Malfoy behind.

Breakfast in the Great Hall was always an event. Students hurrying their last bit of homework; owls post meant letters; of which there were always varied reactions to them: squeals of delight and groans. Occasionally, a Howler arrived and always brought an amusing start to the day. Today, much of the delight was brought about die to the fact that it had begun snowing outside. Staring up at the enchanted ceiling, one could see the tiny flakes of snow dancing about.

Hermione sat at the Gryffindor table eating breakfast, having a heated conversation with Harry, Ron and Ginny. But her heart wasn't with them. Every once in a while, she would let her gaze wander to the Slytherin table, fixed on the blond boy. He looked like something was bothering him and he didn't like it. Hermione had to admit, she had never seen him that way before. Suddenly he stood up and left the hall, holding something in his hand. Hermione's gazed followed Draco as he stalked out of the Great Hall, his face so stormy and frustrated he looked like he was going to cry. Her gaze lingered before wandering to his vacated seat at the Slytherin table, seeing his plate full of food left untouched. She dropped her gaze before suddenly standing up suddenly, startling poor Ron and Harry who were taking turns to complain about what a fraud Divination was to Ginny, grabbing her robes from in front of her and rushing out of the Great Hall, winding through the corridors to the courtyard, where on a stone bench lay a certain blonde, eyes closed, holding in his hand the photo she had found the day before, his angular jaws clenched together. Hermione walked over to the figure and unfolded her robes.

Draco felt someone moving beside him. A voice whispered into his ear, undoubtedly a female voice.

"Skipping breakfast _and_ staying out in the cold in just your robes? Draco, what are you trying to do to yourself?" The voice sounded sweet. It was a voice Draco had heard many times in his dreams.

Draco opened his eyes and realized the stranger had covered him in her robes. He sat upright and looked around, but the courtyard was deserted. Beside him was steaming mug of hot chocolate. The robes smelt faintly of lavender. He stood up and swung the coat around his shoulders. As Draco bent down to pick up the mug from the bench, he stopped dead in his tracks as he caught sight of the badge sewn onto the robes.

It was red and gold, with a lion in the middle.

Instantly, Draco forgot what he was going to do, his mind focusing only on one thing. He turned on his heel and ran through the corridors in frantic search for that brunette Gryffindor know-it-all.

Draco found her by the lake in her school uniform. She sat with her legs drawn to her chest, her forehead resting on her arms as her curly hair danced in the cold wind. He sat down beside her and took her robes off his shoulders and covered her with it. Surprised at the sudden intrusion, Hermione spun her head around. Her wide, hazel eyes looked so intently at him, as if trying to read Draco's mind and make sense of his actions. Draco raised his hand and lightly grazed his thumb across her cheek.

"So what's the meaning of this?" murmured Hermione.

"What is the meaning of _this_?" asked Draco, fingering her school robes.

"Isn't it obvious?" replied Hermione, breaking into a smile.

"Then isn't _it_ obvious?" smirked Draco in a matter-of-fact way.

After a moment of silence, Hermione whispered, "I couldn't let you freeze out there. And go through the day hungry either."

Draco turned to face her. "And I couldn't let you freeze out here just because you gave the person you cared for your robes."

Hermione's heart soared with joy and flung her arms around Draco's neck. Draco siezed this opportunity to lean in and kissed her gently on her lips, barely containing a smile.

Draco spent the rest of the afternoon telling her the story of a young blond wizard, who slowly developed a crush on this pretty and brilliant brunette witch. He secretly admired her from afar, but knowing that now one would approve he had openly resented her in front of everyone else, and how he was sorry he had given her hell all these years.

Hermione said that she was sure the girl forgave the the boy, and that everything turned out alright because the girl secretly loved the boy too.


End file.
